Foundry-plant



No ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. WHITING.

FOUNDRY PLANT.

No. 314,768. Patented Mar. 31, 1885.

(NoModeU 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. WHITING.

FOUNDRY PLANT.

N0.31'4,768. Patented M21131, 1885.

[M- w/w (No Model,) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

J. H. WHITING. FOUNDRY PLANT.

v No. 314,768. Patented Mar. 31, 1885.

v a Kg \h X K 0 a M a MM W & IQ l r U ITED STATES PATENT J HILL WHITING, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FOUNDRY-PLANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,768, dated March 31, 1885.

Application filed September 24, 1884.

The object of the invention is to dispense with the help of such unskilled labor as is now employed to assist the molders in performing the work of casting proper.

The invention consists in the peculiar combinations and the construction and arrangements of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed. b

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure 1 isa plan of my im-' proved foundry-plant. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of pouring. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the removal of the casting from the mold. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the small ladle. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the relative arrangements of the different parts of my improved foundry-plant. Fig. 6is a perspective view showing a belt-shifting device,with

devices for maneuvering it from the foundrycoupling-rods F to form a train, which is adapted to run upon atrack, F. The trucks upon which the ladles are supported are l spaced the same distances apart as the rows of car wheel molds, and the track F runs in a (No model.)

direction at right angles, or nearly so, tothe rows of car-wheel molds.

F is an endless rope or chain operated by power, by means of which the connected train of ladles may be drawn in either direction along the track F.

G is a lever, by means of which the train of ladles is stopped or started in anydirection,

H is the large ladle usually employed as an intermediate receptacle, which receives its charge of molten metaldirect from the cupola, and fromwhich the individual charges are poured into the ladlesE, the cabletra-ction being used to bring one ladle after anotherin proper position for pouring. many of such ladles H as there are cupolas. The ladle H is supported upon trunnions, so as to be easily tipped for pouring into the individual ladles, a hand-wheel, I, or other device allowing the operator who manages the lever G to perform this service at the same time, the lever G being placed for this purpose in close proximity to the big ladle Hi;

There are many devices known and used for operating a traction-cable in the manner desired for the endless cable F and it is immaterial for the purposes of this invention what kind of device is used for that purpose. All that is essentialis that the haird lever Gr, which governs the movement of the cable F is-placed in proximity to the big ladle H. A suitable arrangement for this purpose can be easily devised by any skilled mechanic. For

instance, as in Fig. 5, where the cable-trad,

tion devices are arranged overhead, andconsist of a friction-wheel, a, secured upon the shaft of the cable-drum, and of an oscillat. ing frame, b, carrying two friction-pulleys, c c, revolving in opposite directions, the frame b can be oscillated in its stationary bearings by the lever e, to the ends of which thestarting rope F is secured and brought down around suitably-arranged rope-pulleys and connected to the lever G. By turning the le ver G in one direction or in the opposite, one of the two friction-pulleys c c is brought in frictional contact with the friction-wheel a, and the train of ladles will start in one direc= tion or in the opposite, according as the friction-pulley c, driven by the crossed belt, or that driven by the uncrossed belt, is brought There are as into contact with the friction-wheel a. If the cabletractionis of the kind driven by belts, with a sliding belt-shifter, as shown in Fig. 1, a starting-rope. F similar to the rope E, Fig.- 5, is arranged to maneuver the belt-shifter by means of the lever G, whichoscillates the rocklever shown and reciprocates 'thebelt-l shifter so that both are on the loose pulleys, that the endless belt be unmoved; or so that theTun-y crossed belt is on a loose pull y and the crossed belt on a fixed pulley, or the reverse, so that the endless belt and train may be moved in either direction by the proper motion of the gearing and drum. In Fig. 6 is shown how a rotary belt sh'ifter may be maneuvered in a similar manner. Its

, wheel is provided with grbove inxvhien work ,the, of the belt-shifter proper. I'tfis also immaterial for the 'p'urposejofmy'inyention 2o whafikind of overhead tray'ersingci anes are used.. All that isessential inconneetion there- 'wfith iis; that n independent traversing cfrjane isprovided for each row of molds, with suit fable ropes or" cables, 9 h, formanhve'ifing it. '25

ropes' have to run 'in' 'proir'irriityto the foundry-floor and to the'rowbf'r'nolds to'whioh f the; i gnsberon s, Howsueli ropes'can easil be arranged has been shown heretofore in connecti on with the cabie trs'cntn 'for' i operatin thetrain ofladl'es, "Itisalsoindicated in Fig.

5', in connection with the'ti-aveirsrngcrane sho n-therein. This traversing craneM -is by'rneans of suitable beltsand pulleys, the belts beihgl controlled y belt sh'ifter's'k-of the lgind shown in Fig.6. Toeachfofthese'beltshifters a cable-pulley, Z, is attached for ima-f of well-known "construction and operation, S

the parallels'ways i and tr; being'thehoistta s y a cable-Grim," to which motion is given nsuveringit by eans of 'endless'rfop'es'g h,xthe

g the traimof 'la dlesfoperateskthelever' so as m bring each ladle s c'cessively'in 'p'rtpe'r'potvqe r stretch of whichpasses in proximity to the found 1 y -fl"oor and to the row'ofiindlds'for whichthe'cr'anelisused. I In practice the operator plateaus argbf *s'ition topour =the required'charge of rnolten metalinto a. when he has q's 'ch argedjthe rjequiredhumber of 1adl'es, h'e brings his train fss.

' idedwith'a pivoted dog, R,"whichis eiigaged' [upon the bail J, asshownf As soon gas a places the brace-rod L in, position, as shown blder end, one of which is slipped over the free trunnion N of theladle, while theotherjs put over one of the trunnions O, with which the iron chill is provided, to allow of its being handled by the crane. The pouring can now be performedby one man alone, instead of, as heretofore, by two "men operating the ladle with handles E inserted into both trunnions.

The placing of the-brace-rod L in position can be performed by the man required to operate the stirring-rod.

To take the car-wheel out of the mold after casting, the cope P is lifted up, leaving the "sandon top of the Wheel. Heretofore this sand was removed by manual labor before the carwheel was lifted out of'position"by the crane to'be" 'conveyedto the cooling-pit. I dis'pense "with this mannal labor' of cleaning off-f'thesand "wheel." w

T'Instead of lifting I the 'Wheelup Qass is "now done)in'the"samemanner asj itlies in the mold,

' ruse agrapplinghook, constructed asshown in Fig. 3, havingonly twolegs, 'R; insteadiof "three, as heretofore. One' leg ofth e grapplinghook I insert on the under "side of the wheel "as it lies in'thefinoldfsothatfimstartihguthe crane this leg WilP'catch' with its hiookon-the rim of the wheel and raise it gradual-lynp-into a standi-n g position, thus' 'allo win g" the sand to "wheel'is in a standing position; thehoolz' of the other leg also catches 'onftheminiofthe wheel fand"allows of liftingithewheel ofi theQ-gr'ound "andjconveying it"to'the"cooling-pit. Thus it will be seen that bytheuse of: ymyimproved plant all such manual labor necessi'tating heretofore the employment of additional though unskilled labor is entirely'done'awayiwith;=leav- "ingo'nly'su'ch work tobe "performed asiis'incidental to'theiuse of 'mae'hinery,*and which iniay bs in this case'exohisively'performed bythe :tw'o-mo1ders themselves who usually'arefworking upon; a 'mold.

"'W-hat I'claim' as my'invention is f 1. In a foundry-plantfor' thepurposes de- "scribed, ,a "series of trucks connected; together 'the'same distance apart as' the' rows of molds,

and operated b'y chain, cable, or otherequivalent device in a direction transverse totherow of molds, substantially asand for 'the'purpose described. 7 v

12; In a foundry plant' for the 'pnrposessdescribed, a train of trucks operated by power in a direction transverse to therows ofmolds, and f adapted tosupport the ladles :the same "distances apart as the rows of"1nolds,*'i n'combin'ati'on with a chain' or cable, asta'rti-n'grope,

a belt-shifting device, and the starting-lever G and big ladle Hjplaced in proximity to each other, substantially as and for the purposes "described. a s p 3. In a foundiyplantyforthepurp'oses .described,'f the combination of the following-de- 'vic'es'i atrain of trucks' supporting the Eladles an'dregistering with the rows of'inolds,-a chain,

cable, or equivalent device for carrying the train of trucks, with their ladies, from and to the supply-ladle and transverse to the rows of molds, and a series of overhead traversing cranes, one for each row of molds, all arranged and operating substantially as described.

4. In a foundry-plant for the purposes described, the combination of a suspended ladle with the brace-rod L, provided with hooks or eyes at each end, slipped over trunnions on the ladle and the mold, respectively, whereby the ladle in pouring is held and steadied in its relative position toward the mold while pouring, substantially as described.

5. In a foundry-plant for the purposes de- I 5 J. HILL WRITING.

Witnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, E. SoULLY. 

